Swimming device.



E. G. STERBBRG. SWIMMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. vZ5, 1913.

1,1 1 8,820. Patented 061;. 13, 1914.

ATTORNEYS ERIK communi) srnnsnaaor WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

. Specification ofiLettersPate-nt. i PafentedOct. 13, 1914.

Applcaticn led'ilfovember 25, 1913; Serial N oi. 802,929.

To all whom t may concern.' i lle it known that I, ERIK GOTTFRIEDGermaanse, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of llorcester,inthe County vof Viforcester and State of Massachusetts,

have invented a new and Improved Swim-` nimgDevice, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object oi the invention is to provide a new and improved swimmingdevice for use on a persons. foot to facilitate swimming, to enable theswimmer to make better speed and to more effectively sustain the swimmerespecially when playing water polo orother equatic games. A

In order `to accomplish the desired result use is made of a bracketattached to a shoe or a slipper and having `a peak-shaped upper portionextending over" the front end of the shoe or slipper, a` pair'of wingshinged on the top of-said bracketi and lim-` ited in their downwardswinging motion" by the bracket, and limiting means for limiting theupward swinginginotion offthe wings. Ilse is also made of a braceconnected with the upper portion of the bracket and with an ankle bandarranged for removable attachment to the ankle ofthe user of the device.l

A practical embodiment of the invention isv represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in y whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure l is ya perspective lview of the swimming device as applied andwhen in use `while swimming; Fig. 2 isa front end elevation of' kthesame lwithparts in section and showing the wings extended;` and Fig. 3is a front elevation of the same with the wings folded. In the generalconstruction of theswiin-v ming device use is made of a shoe or slipperA adapted to be worn'. on the foot of the swimmer in the usual manner.On the lforward end oli' the under side of the sole A of the shoe orslipper A'is secured an attaching plate B by screws, nails 4or otherfastening devices, and the said attaching plate is provided atits `rearend with sidewise-extending lugs B" projecting beyond the side edges ofthe sole A. To-tlierearportion of the attaching lplate B and extendingover the side lugs B is secured the bottom C of a bracket C having sidemembers C2 extending upwardly from the side of ythe I *"zibottonilC andthe sidemembers CZterminate in upwardly and inwardly inclined topmembers ,C3 forming a bearing C4 atthe ltop ofthe bracket, asplainlyindicated in `the drawings. "In this bearing C4 is held alongitudinally-extending pintle D on which apair of wings `D are mountedto swing upv and down,v thedownward :movement of the said wings' D beinglimited by the upper ends of thev `side member C2 of the bracketC, asplainly indicated in F ig.` 3.

to the water.

The wingslD 'are preferably slightly dished` von the underlsideto offermore resistance i `In order to limit the upward swinging l,

movement of `the wings Duse is made of wingiD and to whichv the ends ofapiece of cord Fare secured, the said cordpassing` around a cross plateC5 connectingthe side members C2 of the bracket C with each other, asplainly indicated in thefdrawings. The cross plate C5reinforcesthebracket;C

`and is provided with downwardly extending retaining lugs C0 eachextending around the cord F so as tohold the samey against E secured `totheuiider `side of eachv l lateral shifting onthe plate C5. The cords Fallow the wings Dto'"s`wing downward into tilted position andlimitthenpward swinging motion of4 the said wingsqso that thelatterassume `a nearly horizontal posi-j tion wlienextendedfas indicatedin Figs. l

and 2f "The, cross plate C5 "is preferably i archedfandf provided at theends with depending "flanges Cladjustably clamped by f bolts C8extending through vertical slots C9 inthe said side members C2. Onloosening the bolts C8 the" cross platef'()5 can be raised lor loweredvto fit more or less snugly over thetop of the shoeor slipper A.

In order to give `more stability to the swimming `devicefuse jis made ofa lexible brace G connected with the upper end of the bracket,immediately1 below the pintle D, and this" brace Gr is hooked onto ahook H yon an. ankleband H passed around the ankle of the wearers yfootand secured thereto, as plainly shown inF ig. L i

When the swimmer draws the foot toward thebody then the wingsfD`moveinto closed caused to swing open by the pressure,4 of

ico

'or foldedl positionby the resistance ofthe. i ywater lagainst the outerface of the wings, and `when the fuser"rn0ve`s 'the foot outward yawayfrom the body then the `wings D are 11`0`` the `water against the underside of the l wings, so that the opened-up wings present a largesustain-ingl surface and thereby assist the swimmer in moving forward.

From the foregoing it will be seen' that during swimming or treadingwater the wings D are alternately opened and folded" according to themovement of the leg. Thus when the leg is drawn inward toward thebodythe wings D offer very little resistance, butfwhen the leg is movedoutward the wings open and thusv assist inpropelling theperson.forward.,

l in practice,'thefbracket C as well as the wingsD are preferably madeof aluminum to reduce the weight to a minimum, and by arrangingy thebracket C in the manner describedthe userfof the swimming device canreadily walkl about without interference by the wings.

ylhe swimmingl device shown land described is very simple and durable inconstruction, and as it forms a permanent part 'of the shoe, or slipperA it can be readily donned or lcast olf according to the desires of theuser.

i' "Having thus described my invention,

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: c

A swimming device,ccomprising footgear,`a bracket attached to theforward end of the footgear and having a peak-shaped upper portion,wings'hinged on the said upper portion of the bracketto swing intoextended or folded position, the said bracket forming astop for thewings when in folded position, flexible stops forlimiting the movementof the wings when moving into extendedposition, and means for liexiblycon- --nelcting'v theupper end'of the bracket with the ankle of thewearer. n

2.' Aswimming device, comprising a footgear, a bracket attached to theforwardy end of thel footgearV and having a peak-shaped upper'portionand an adjustable plate connecting the side members of the. bracket,

wingshinged on the said upper portion of the bracket .to swingintoextended or folded position, the said bracket forming a stop kfortliexwingsl when lin folded position, and

flexible stop members secured'to the under side of the said wings-and toadjustable v plate of the said bracket to limit the movementof the wingswhen :moving into extended position.y r'

3. A vswimming device, comprising a footgear, a bracket attachedto theforward end of the footgear andrv having'.` a peak-shaped upper portion,wings `hinged on the said Yupper portion of .the bracket toy swingintoextended or folded position, the said bracket forming aI stop'for thewings when in folded position, limiting stops for limiting the movementof the wings when moving into extended position, a brace extendinglongitudinally and connected at its forward end with the said upperportion of the bracket,

and an ankle band adapted to be attached to the wearers ankle, the rearend of the said brace being attached to the said ankle band.

44. A swimming device, comprising a shoe, an attaching plate secured tothe sole of the shoe 'near the forward end thereof andbearing side armsprojecting beyond the side edges of the sole, a bracket having a bottomattached to the said attaching plate, the said bracket having sidemembers rising from the said bottom and terminating in upwardly andinwardly inclined top members, a cross plate connecting the upper ends`of the side members with each other, the cross plate being integral,downwardly-extending retaining lugs, a longitudinallyextending pintlecarried by the said top members, wings hinged on the said pintleand'adapted to swing up and down, the downward movement being limited bythe said side members of the bracket, and cords held on the said lugsand connected with the under side of the said wings.

5. A swimming device, comprising a bracket'adapted to be attached to thesole of a shoe and having a. peaked upper end, wings pivoted to theupper peaked end of said bracket, cords secured to the wings andbracket, and a flexible brace having one end secured to the upper end ofthe bracket and carrying at its other end a strap adapted to be securedaround the ankle of the wearer.

61 A swimming device.l comprising a bracket adapted yto be secured tothe sole of a shoe and having a peaked upper end and an adjustable plateconnecting the sides of the bracket, wings pivoted to the upper peakedend of the bracket, cords secured to the under side ofthe wings and tothe adjustable plate of the bracket, and a iiexible brace having one endsecured to the upper end .of the bracket and carrying at its other endastrap adapted to be rsecured around the ankle of the wearer.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to vthis specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

y Entr Gorr'rarrn srrininne.

Witnesses:

Dav'm EMANUEL ANDERSON, EFRAIM `WHrrFIELD.

Gopiesvofths patent'may-be obtained forve cents each, by addressingWashington-DUI."

the Commissioner of Patents.

